Monday, 26 May 2008

Annamaria Hemingway, MA, ABD, is the author of Practicing Conscious Living and Dying: Stories of the Eternal Continuum of Consciousness, published by O Books. A spiritually uplifting collection of real-life stories and illuminating texts that illustrate how coming to terms with the reality of physical death can empower the individual to live a richer and more meaningful life. She is also currently writing her doctoral dissertation on the topic of The Near-Death Experience: A Mythic Model for Conscious Living and Dying. Annamaria is also a spiritual counsellor and member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS).

Practicing Conscious Living and Dying: Stories of the Eternal Continuum of Consciousness is an uplifting collection of spiritually illuminating texts and powerfully thought-provoking real life stories, showing death as an integral part of life. These touching observations of closeness to someone who is in the dying process, and personal accounts of near-death experiences and after-death communication, illustrate how coming to terms with the inevitability of death is actually a life-affirming experience. These emotionally evocative and inspirational experiences address timeless questions and help expand our limited awareness of the nature of consciousness. They show how each of the individuals concerned has come to understand that death teaches us that the preciousness of life must be lived with a sense of purpose and meaning, as a celebration of our existence.

Sunday, 25 May 2008

I knew that having JM (Jonathan) Harrison--author of We Are All One—on Toward The Light would be special, and, indeed, it was. In spite of having an ‘average’ upbringing that also included typically being discouraged away from trusting or using his innate intuition, he, nonetheless, had numerous experiences that were beyond the confines of the physical five-sensory world people often refer to as ‘reality’.

In 2002, whilst at dinner with his wife and two other friends, JM suddenly fell into a deep trance and started channelling information that was very powerful, relevant and meaningful. Then in 2007, he underwent a near-death experience. What was interesting about this is that he wasn’t ill at all; he simply collapsed onto the floor, leaving his wife in a state of shock and grave concern. Whilst out-of-body and hovering above, he was able to hear her thoughts and realised that he needed to return to this plane for the sake of his wife and children.

A few days later, he sat down and started writing ... for six days straight—having little awareness of what was being written, as if a force greater than him was doing the writing. “I didn’t choose the words,” he stated. “The words chose me.” And yet he acknowledges this wisdom as coming from his true Self—that which he tapped in to and experienced during his NDE and STEs (spiritually transformative experiences). As a result of these experiences, he was able to know the absolute truth that we are all One—hence the title of his book.

During the show, we discussed the fact that he could have had the NDE solely for the sake of gleaning the wisdom he did and to share it with others—to be yet another messenger of truth that one can only come to know through such deep and direct experiences. Hearing all of this made me glow inside. What a gift, indeed!

Jonathan is currently working on a second book centred on the fact that consciousness does not come from the physical human brain, but rather is something stemming from the Universal Consciousness.

As more and more individuals—from mystics to enlightened physicists—are conveying this very truth, as well as the fact that we do not lose consciousness when our physical bodies die, more and more people will be freed of the stranglehold of the fear of death and the belief that human beings merely slip into a deep void of nothingness and oblivion when death takes their bodies.

JM pointed out how vitally important it is to have an open mind and to put the ego aside and not allow it to control or dominate our thinking and the goals or dreams that we pursue in this life journey. Love must be at the helm of these pursuits always.

I do encourage you to read his book, We Are All One, and see for yourself the pure essence of that love and oneness that one comes to know through such experiences. It is there for everyone to experience and know from the deepest stratum of ones being, not just a few ‘privileged’ individuals.

Monday, 19 May 2008

J.M.Harrison is a mystic, author and innovative healer who has developed the ability to reveal a pathway to true being. He describes his role as 'a sharer of signposts, a guide in the process of self-realisation'. A radical spiritual awakening in 2002 propelled him into a sequence of life changing mystical episodes, and a near-death experience launched his consciousness into an awakened state whereby the interconnectedness of all things was no longer a concept, but an experienced reality. Part of the process was the giving up of all ‘business’ interests in 2005—becoming the co-founder along with his wife, Wendy, and fellow truth-seeker, Sharon Jeffries, of ‘The Dubon Centre of Healing and Awareness’ in Gascony, France from where they conduct life changing retreats.

Using a combination of the concepts contained in the book as well as meditation, contemplation, discussion and a selection of holistic treatments, visitors can be guided into a deepening of spiritual awareness.

PHILOSOPHYWe Are All One. When we allow ourselves to become aware of this statement in its purest form, we open the doors to reveal the oneness of being. Using the process of conscious evolution we begin to recognise our true underlying identity, for once we have glimpsed the existence of this realm, we then begin to reveal what it is . . . our true natural state.

Jonathan regularly contributes to a ‘WE ARE ALL ONE’ blogspot which evolves the philosophical themes of non-duality and oneness to a deeper degree themysticway.blogspot.com.

'We are all One' is something that many of us NDErs repeatedly echo—coming from a place of deep knowing and love...

"When you venture beyond identity, you realise that what you are is awakened consciousness. No longer a separate piece of the puzzle of life, but interconnected existence itself."

We Are All One ~ Jonathan Harrison’s message in We Are All One is a journey aiming to abandon the ego in order to embrace the true wholeness of life in the world, through which individuality is not lost but incorporated in a more complete universal vision, a holistic approach that leads to non-duality or oneness.

J.M. Harrison is a spiritual guide, intuitive healer, and mystic. He founded and currently runs a healing and awareness centre in France called 'Dubon'.

Sunday, 18 May 2008

It was truly an honour having Mario Beauregard, PhD as my special guest on Toward The Light. I realised what a ‘small world’ it is as he mentioned people in his book and during the show that I know: Drs. Peter Fenwick and Pim van Lommel—both of whom have been on Toward The Light.

What’s interesting is that Mario is currently working with these physicians in project studies centred in NDEs and consciousness and proving its existence outside of the physical brain. Of course, when I had Drs. Peter & Pim on my show last fall, they did attest to the fact that these projects were now under way, so it was nice to connect with yet another individual who’s working in concert with them and they’re making great strides in the study of consciousness and the soul.

These are men I’ve got great respect for. They’re not being ‘narrow-minded fundamentalists’ with their myopic mind-set who are stuck ‘inside the box’ and who refuse to broaden their vision to embrace a truth that, to many of us, is so glaringly obvious! I commend them for their courage and forthrightness in honouring the higher calling in the pursuit of truth rather than that of status.

We are not biological robots, as Mario points out, or body computers as David Icke refers to them. We are divine beings who animate the body-computer. PMH Atwater, a fellow NDEr and researcher, has also pointed this out in her books and articles. And let us not forget Claude Swanson, PhD, author of the book, Synchronized Universe, who was recently on Toward The Light—a physicist who's also liberating science out of the darkness of denial and into the light!

These are people I hold very dear to my heart and am ever so grateful to them for helping to shed the light on a complex world that some still deem is ‘flat’!

Read Mario’s book, The Spiritual Brain, (see article below and click on the book image to order) and also check out the work of the other afore-mentioned individuals herein.

Someday soon, there will be no question whatever that consciousness does indeed survive physical death of the body ... and so do we!

Sunday, 11 May 2008

Dr. Mario Beauregard, PhD., is currently associate researcher at University of Montreal (Departments of Psychology and Radiology, Neuroscience Research Centre). He is the author of more than 100 publications in neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry. Because of his research into the neuroscience of consciousness, he was selected by the World Media Net to be among the 'One Hundred Pioneers of the 21st Century'. Dr. Beauregard’s groundbreaking work on the neurobiology of emotion and mystical experience at the University of Montreal has received international media coverage. In 2006, he received the Joel F. Lubar award for his contribution to the field of neurotherapy. The National Film Board of Canada has recently produced a documentary film about his work titled The Mystical Brain. In September 2007, Dr. Beauregard published a new book titled The Spiritual Brain (Publisher: Harper Collins), in collaboration with science writer Denyse O’Leary.

“Never shrinking from controversy, and sometimes deliberately provoking it, this book serves as a lively introduction to a field where neuroscience, philosophy, and secular/spiritual cultural wars are unavoidably intermingled.”—Publishers Weekly

Do You Have a Soul? Neuroscientist Mario Beauregard Says Yes!

The belief that the mind does not exist apart from the brain dominated the twentieth century. But can we really dismiss our thoughts and feelings, or furthermore, our religious and spiritual experiences, as simply outcomes of the firing synapses of our brain? In THE SPIRITUAL BRAIN, authors Dr. Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary present the groundbreaking evidence that the mind and our belief in the human soul cannot be simply reduced to physiological reactions in the brain.

Most neuroscientists are committed to the view that mystical experiences are simply the result of random neurons firing, or ‘delusions created by the brain’. THE SPIRITUAL BRAIN takes another approach, powerfully arguing for what many in science are unwilling to consider—that people actually contact a reality outside themselves during intense spiritual experiences. Beauregard uses the most sophisticated technology to peer inside the brains of Carmelite nuns during a profound spiritual state. His results and a variety of other lines of evidence lead him to the surprising conclusion that spiritual experiences are not a figment of the mind or a delusion produced by a dysfunctional brain.

This is a topic that's been brought up numerous times of Toward The Light with the likes of Drs. Peter Fenwick, Pim van Lommel, Claude V Swanson, David Icke, PMH Atwater and others. Through the near-death experience, we've been able to prove that the consciousness and soul do exist outside of the physical brain and body.

This is sure to be another powerfully compelling and through-provoking show. Don't miss it! :)

It was such a delight to have Dr. Claude Swanson back on Toward The Light. It is really thanks to him that I’ve got this radio programme in the first place. A mutual acquaintance in Arizona introduced us to each other back in 2005 and this resulted in a real turning point in my life.

As an NDEr and one who’s been a mystic who ‘resides primarily on the right side of my brain’, it was a joy to connect with someone who could validate and explain the truths of what we mystics have known and experienced for thousands of years and put it neatly into scientific terms that are compelling and that which can reach the realm of and make sense to the logical or linear thinker.

We conversed on the telephone for quite some time and hit it off straight away. He sent me a copy of his book, Synchronized Universe and, as heavy as the large book is, I could not put it down. I was jumping up and down like a giddy, excited child as I was reading the pages within—complete with photos, illustrations, graphs, and other diagrams—that clearly explain and put together what I struggle to grapple and find words for, because of the nature of these lofty experiences. He puts it beautifully in a lay language that is very easy to understand and follow.

Some of the chapter titles in SU include:

Remote Viewing

Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP)

Psychokinesis, or Mind Over Matter

The Backster Effect or Cell-to-Cell Communication

Collective Effects and Group Consciousness

Levitation

Teleportation

Adepts

The Out-of-Body Experience (OBE)

Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)

Time & Prophecy

Beginning of a Theory

Connecting with Claude was beneficial to both of us, because he was able to ‘pick my brain’ and ask me questions about my own experiences—not the least of which were my NDEs, of course, plus my life-long experiences as a mystic with the use of telepathy, visions, lucid as well as prophetic dreams, remote viewing and more. I’ve even done levitation in past. Alas, these are all topics that he covers in his book as the 'New Science of the Paranormal'.

The conversations were always lively, stimulating and positive—both of us eager to learn as much as we could ... and to help provide clear explanations about these phenomena to others.

In January 2006, Claude rang me and invited me to be a guest on his radio show—named after his book, Synchronized Universe. Mind you, it was on very short notice, as the show was to air that very evening, but I opted to do it. He interviewed me about my NDEs and other mystical experiences and there was never a shortage of thought-provoking content to share with the listeners, that’s for sure! It was nice to blend the scientific with the mystical or metaphysical and find that they both harmonised very well. Of course, I was speaking with a more aware and enlightened scientist and that makes all the difference in the world!

As stated before, after the show aired, Don Newsom (of BBS Radio) was so impressed with my delivery and what I had to share ... that he invited me to host my own radio show. Thus, Toward The Light was born on 6 March 2006 with PMH Atwater as my first guest and the rest is history.

I continue to feel such gratitude to Claude for this auspicious turn of events that led, not only to our mutual sharing of important material, but also to the birth of my own radio programme that’s been on the air for over two years now. I’m so passionate about the show and very excited about anything that will help remove the stigma round these topics that are really as natural as breathing and are an innate part of our make-up.

Once Claude completes the second volume of his book, he’s indicated that he does plan to resume his own radio show, which will be a tremendous service to the masses. It is time to honour the bridge-builders who are linking science and metaphysics together in a marriage centred in harmony and truth.

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Dr. Claude Swanson was educated as a physicist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University. During those years he worked at the MIT Science Teaching Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory and a Virginia cyclotron. At Princeton he received the National Science Foundation Fellowship and Putnam Fellowship. His Ph.D. thesis at Princeton was done in the 'Gravity Group', which focuses on experimental cosmology and astronomy, and was headed by Nobel laureate Robert Dicke.

Swanson conducted postgraduate work at Princeton and Cornell Universities on the design of superconducting plasma containment vessels for fusion energy systems. He then began work for Aeronautical Research Associates of Princeton, a consulting company, and later formed his own consulting company which carried out studies in applied physics for commercial and governmental agencies, including DuPont, United Technologies, the U.S. Army and Navy, DARPA and the CIA, among many others.

For the last fifteen years, interspersed with his conventional professional career in applied physics, Dr. Swanson has pursued investigations into 'unconventional physics'. His principal interest has been unified field theory, the so-called 'Theory of Everything' which could explain the universe at the deepest possible level. This has led him to investigate many aspects of the paranormal, which appear to be completely real phenomena which violate our present science. Paranormal phenomena, which have now been proven in the laboratory in many cases, offer a window into the deeper universe, the mysteries of consciousness, and unlock new forces and principles which conventional science has only begun to glimpse. He is the author of the book, Synchronized Universe.

This brilliant book covers such topics as remote viewing, ESP, telepathy, levitation, NDEs, OBEs, inter-dimensional reality, group consciousness, teleportation, mind over matter and more. He is currently working on the second volume of SU and we'll be discussing it during the show. You can also read his chapter on Out-of-Body Experiences here.

A Special Acknowledgement!

Dr. Swanson originally had a show on BBS Radio and asked me to be a guest on his show, Synchronized Universe, which I was back on 15 January 2006. As a result of appearing on that show, Don Newsom (BBS owner & president), asked me to do my own weekly show on BBS Radio. Thus Toward The Light was born and debued on 6 March 2006—all thanks to Claude Swanson!

Claude has also got another very powerful site that scientifically proves the power of prayer. Please visit GlobalPeacePrayer.com.

Monday, 5 May 2008

Having James Gilliland on my show was very much an honour and something I was truly looking forward to. Throughout the dialogue, it was clear that we were both very much ‘on the same page’ and it was a joy to speak with someone with whom I could so deeply resonate.

As fellow NDErs, it’s not uncommon to be catapulted onto a path of deep service to others ... as a result of the near-death episode. We never see or regard things in the same way after an episode—ever!

As James felt the intense sense of purpose and a responsibility to fulfil an important calling during his NDE, he opted to return to the 3D world; whereas I never volunteered to return, but was informed that I needed to—for the same reason as James. Of course I had to oblige—as much as it broke my heart to have to return to this plane! And, yes, I do find great joy in fulfilling this mission and I’m still doing it!

These callings are rarely, if ever, motivated by the quest for £$. In fact, if one chooses to pursue £$, the motive does not arise from the near-death episode, but from the perspective of the ego that cultivates such a pursuit, so let’s make no mistake about the motives behind such pursuits. Those of us who have got such callings as these tend to be very passionate about them—whether or not £$ is involved. I’m always grateful for any donations that come in, but quite frankly, £$ isn’t, nor has it ever been, the driving force behind any of my work. It’s the love and the sheer goodness that is shared with others that is the driving force, here.

When James was describing his NDE and being enveloped in that all-encompassing unconditional love of the Light, I kept nodding my head with total understanding of what he was referring to. When one has experienced the sheer bliss of unconditional love, it is very natural to want to share it with everyone! And the truth is: it’s possible for everyone to experience and know this love from the very depth of ones being. As I pointed out during the show, it’s a shame that ‘unconditional love’ has become such a cliché, but it is something that is so valid and real just the same. There is a tremendous knowing that comes with such experiences—a knowing that never fades over time.

One’s entire demeanour changes completely when one has truly experienced the state of unconditional love and being enveloped in that pure light so often mentioned by NDErs. And, alas, there are truly no words that could ever describe the magnitude of what such an experience entails. You just know that perfect oneness with All That IS and with that, there is no sense of fear or lack whatever! That’s why there’s a natural yearning for us experiencers to want to share this state with others—however we can do—and to let everyone know that we can never be separated from the LightSource or from one another, because, indeed, we are all One!

This is the ‘stuff’ of our experiences ... and our work. It is something that I hope, in time, will permeate the entire psyche of the human species, so that all fear can and will be dissipated and replaced with love.

James is on an amazing journey where he shares the wisdom gleaned from his NDE and other powerful experiences in his life. He's shared the fact, for example, that we occupy a tiny speck of one in countless universes/multiverses and the countless lifeforms that exist throughout them. With this, too, he is committed to eliminating the tendency to regard other lifeforms with fear and trepidation. Most of them are very benevolent and centred in love. Find out more by visiting his website.

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About Toward The Light

Toward The Light is a special organisation that offers an abundance of resources and services that bring nourishment to the soul, inspiration, peace of mind and a true sense of well-being. We offer near-death studies & support (including a weekly radio show and monthly NDE support and interest group meetings); psychic, spiritual, motivational & grief counselling; Reiki & remote healing as well as books & DVD/videos on near-death and related topics. We also offer other special products and services for body, mind & spirit. We serve clients world-wide and are available and honoured to accommodate you ... wherever you are!
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British mystic, Rev. Juliet Nightingale is a minister of Metaphysics, a clairvoyant spiritual advisor/counsellor and medium, Reiki and remote healing practitioner, and one who's had multiple near-death experiences (NDEs). She's a life-long mystic and Seer who's been on a divine quest all of her life. Since childhood, she realised that she was sent here to fulfil a sacred mission ... and the LightSource has repeatedly affirmed that calling whilst Nightingale was on the Other Side.

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Books/DVDs Offered from TTL!

The following books/DVDs are available for sale through Toward The Light and proceeds will support the work of this organisation—not to mention the peace of mind you'll glean from seeing/reading this profound and uplifting material! That, in itself, is priceless!

All of the authors have been guests on Toward The Light and you can listen to archived shows by going to the TTL Radio Guests page and clicking on the guest's name. Enjoy! :)

Access Denied

Access Denied ~ Cathy O'Brien & Mark Phillips

Courageous Souls

Courageous Souls ~ Robert Schwartz

Life After Life (DVD/Video)

Life After Life ~ Peter Shockey, based on Dr. Raymond Moody's book

More Than Meets the Eye

More Than Meets the Eye ~ Yvonne Perry w/Forward by J. Nightingale

Surviving Death

Surviving Death ~ Scott Degenhardt

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WEEKLY NDE PROGRAMME ON RADIO: The Rev. Juliet Nightingale, a multiple NDEr, is hosting a groundbreaking programme, Toward The Light, on www.BBSRadio.com focusing primarily on the Nature of Consciousness and Life Continuum as revealed through Near-Death and similar Spiritually Transformative Experiences. The programme airs live at 5P ET/10P UK every Sunday. She features a stellar roster of special guests who are both experiencers and researchers in the realm of NDEs and related topics; and there are also call-in opportunities so people can ask questions.

Some of the show topics include:• What Every Individual and Caregiver Should Know About The Dying Process• Near-Death/Out-of-Body and similar Spiritually Transformative Experiences• Exploring the Many Facets of After-Death Communications (ADCs)• Experiencing the Afterlife and the Immortality of the Soul• Living Inter-Dimensionally and Being Multi-Sensory• Intuition and Telepathy• More...

Nightingale covers new ground, discussing topics that up until recently have been nearly taboo. Audiences leave with the tools necessary for change, with information relative to their own lives, on both personal and professional levels. With compassion and the utmost respect for various religious beliefs, Nightingale inspires her audiences to go out into the world and make a difference.

TTL Radio Guests

"All truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." ~ Schopenhauer